ok the problem

1. wont shift in to 3rd and above.

what i have already done:

1. checked and replaced governor gear. it was not damaged or broke but the part was cheap so while i was down there i replaced it.

2. took off valve body, cleaned and replaced little valve seals and misc. parts

3. replaced vacuum modualtor cap becasue the old one was cracked, probably leaking air and casuing pressure issues.

4. disconnected the kickdown solenoid....nothing

5. checked the secondary pump and it appeared to be fine, moved freely and there were no parts stuck in there.

6. the b1 band appears to be intact, when i squeeze it together the whole thing moves leading me to believe it is in on piece. i also wiggle from side to side and the whole thing moves as one piece.

what i have heard it may be

1. b1 piston

2. secondary pump? are there parts to the secondary pump through the governor side?

i put the tranny back together and it ran exactly the same. can go from 1st to 2nd but not to 3rd or 4th.

i dont mind dropping the tranny and replacing somthing if need be, but id like to know what parts to buy. or if there is a simple fix for the problem i am having.

this whole project started with "flaring" and then while adjusting modulator and bowden cable....bam! no more shifting to 3rd and beyond.

i am going to document my repairs in detail with pictures next time for all of you guys and anybody else who may have issues. i have made many "special" tools for this merc and people will really dig some of the things i have done.

I am not a tranny guy, but very capable. help!

I had nearly the same problem & removed the trans. to check most of the same items, found no reason to not shift (but did not go inside). I went to 6+- "shops" near Daytona, most would'nt touch it....others did'nt seem to know mercedes (722.4), said it was electrical, or valve body(@ $2200.) including a "shop" on Mason ave.--found another shop, seemed ok, took it to him, he disassembled it, ALL friction discs were gone, a roller bearing was already falling apart, brake band scored,etc.( I saw the parts-IF, those were really out of my trans.?) he's still working on it, will post results when its done.....sorry to sound like you MAY have similar trouble..jerry.

Quote: i put the tranny back together and it ran exactly the same. can go from 1st to 2nd but not to 3rd or 4th.

When you say that it will not go into 3rd or 4th do you mean that it doesn't shift or does it shift and the engine just slip with no engagement?

If it is not even shifting out of 2nd, then I believe that the problem is probably valve body or centrifugal governor related.

How many miles on the transmission?

I am by no means a transmission expert but I did successfully rebuild my 722.3 transmission that had 170,000 miles and had lost reverse as well as not engaging in 3rd gear (had to be driven with the selector in "2"). Most of the friction discs were worn out and the K1 and K2 steel spacers were either scored or warped. I also replaced several smaller parts. The total parts cost was about $700.
After the rebuild I still had a problem with severe slipping in 3rd and 4th after the car had been driven for about 30 minutes (when cold, it worked perfectly). I ended up replacing the valve body with one from another transmission from a junkyard with 124,000 that I took apart and cleaned and everything worked great.